Biotin Gummies - Are We All Just Wasting Money? (New Article Inside)
Hey all, saw this article pop up today and thought it might be worth a discussion here. Basically it's about the potential side effects of hair, skin, and nails vitamins - you know, the ones with biotin that are EVERYWHERE now. The summary says: "# 5 Potential Side Effects of Hair, Skin, and Nails Vitamins The promise of luxurious hair, glowing skin, and strong nails has fueled a booming market for beauty supplements, with biotin gummies being..." I've been taking biotin gummies for like 6 months now. My hair does seem a bit thicker but honestly could be placebo. Anyone else have thoughts or experiences? Side effects? I haven't noticed anything weird but now I'm second-guessing. Also kinda annoyed the article cuts off, lol.
RhinoRich, I'll be honest - I'm not surprised. Biotin is one of those supplements where the hype way outruns the evidence. Unless you're actually deficient (which is rare), most people just pee out the excess. And yeah, there ARE potential side effects - acne breakouts are a common one, plus it can mess with lab tests (thyroid, cardiac troponin) which is actually kinda serious. I took biotin gummies for a few months a couple years ago and ended up with weird little bumps along my jawline. Stopped and they went away. Not saying that'll happen to everyone, but it's worth knowing. What does the rest of the article say? The summary cut off.
Ugh, I literally just bought a big bottle of biotin gummies last week because my postpartum hair shedding is out of control (thanks, hormones). I barely have time to read full articles these days - can someone give me the TL;DR? I'm running on like 4 hours of sleep and a cold coffee. Is it actually dangerous or just like... acne and expensive pee? Because if it's just expensive pee I might still finish the bottle, not gonna lie.
Nancy, from what I can gather the main ones are: 1) acne breakouts (especially if you're prone), 2) interference with lab tests (thyroid etc.) which is the big one, 3) possible nausea or cramps if you take too much on an empty stomach, 4) it can interact with certain meds like anticonvulsants, and 5) in rare cases, allergic reactions. Nothing like organ failure, lol. But the lab test thing is real - my doc actually asked me to stop biotin 2 days before my last blood draw. If you're just doing it for postpartum shedding, might be worth asking your OB first. Also, solidarity on the sleep thing.
Nancy - short answer: it's not poison, but it's also not a miracle. For postpartum hair loss, time is honestly the main fix (annoying, I know). If you do keep taking it, just make sure you tell any doctor drawing your blood. And don't double up on a "hair, skin, nails" multi PLUS a straight biotin gummy - that's how people end up with 10,000% of the daily value. More isn't better here. RhinoRich, thanks for posting the actual list. I still think the industry is mostly selling hope in a gummy, but at least it's cheap hope.